Events to mark anniversary of West Bloomfield police officer Patrick O'Rourke's shooting death

12:42 AM,
Sep. 9, 2013

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Written by

Tammy Stables Battaglia
Detroit Free Press Staff Writer

Children - including Patrick O'Rourke's own kids - will send 55 Chinese lanterns floating into the sky tonight to mark the year since the shooting death of the West Bloomfield Township police officer.

But O'Rourke's widow, Amy, said the spirit of badge No. 55 remains very much alive, with a number of commemorations scheduled for today and this week.

"It's humbling and it's awesome," she said Thursday from her home. "I've had a hard couple of days leading up to it, knowing it's coming. I've had a lot of crying episodes. But I'm very touched by people wanting to honor Pat. It's very comforting ...